NON-CELTIC NBA TRADE RUMORS

We're 8 days out and the rumors are going to start getting hairy (and probably really stupid). Rather than starting a new thread for every rumor let's put them all here, otherwise there'll be half a page of this board's threads consisting of nothing but gossip. When a trade is actually made that can have its own thread.


bob



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http://www.sportingnews.com/nba/news/nba-trade-rumors-deadline-news-tyreke-evans-grizzlies-celtics-sixers-thunder-clippers/1qvqw08f7ujpw1to5swxc6pie5




NBA trade rumors: Latest news on market for Tyreke Evans, Clippers' future plans



January 31, 2018 7:58am ESTJanuary 31, 2018 7:56am EST



Sporting News' Mitch Lawrence takes a look at the latest rumors surrounding Grizzlies guard Tyreke Evans, the Clippers' strategy without Blake Griffin and more ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline.


Mitch Lawrence Contributor  @Mitch_Lawrence
Updated at 7:58 a.m. ET



Almost nobody wanted Tyreke Evans before the season started, with the former NBA Rookie of the Year resigned to having to accept a one-year, $3.3 million deal from Memphis.

Now, teams are lining up to get Evans before the Feb. 8 trade deadline. The Celtics, Sixers, Thunder and Cavs are among the teams that reportedly have interest in what has been one of the best bargains in the NBA.

You can see why Danny Ainge would want the nine-year veteran: Some nights, Kyrie Irving is the Celtics’ only dependable scorer. That won’t cut it when the Celtics begin what they hope is a long playoff run this spring.

The Sixers are hopeful of nailing down their first postseason spot since undertaking "The Process." Lottery-bound since 2012, Evans, enjoying his best scoring season (19.4 points per game) since his rookie campaign with the Kings, might help them clinch a top-eight finish in the East. J.J. Redick is still working his way back from an injury to his left leg, and the Sixers know all too well that Markelle Fultz is not going to be able to contribute in his rookie season.

Then again, Evans is seen as the perfect fit in Oklahoma City. The Thunder’s bench is, to put it nicely, just this side of feeble, with only Raymond Felton presenting a threat to score. So Evans, who was compared to Dwyane Wade by former Heat assistant and Grizzlies head coach Dave Fizdale, would be a boost for Russell Westbrook and the Thunder’s "Big Three."

The Cavs? The 6-6 Evans would give them much-needed size in the backcourt to go along with his improved 3-point shooting.

Evans has only four playoff games on his resume, all of which came when he was a member of the Pelicans in 2015. But he’s being viewed — along with the Clippers’ Lou Williams, a veteran of 52 playoff games — as one of the top available scorers who will be joining a new team in the coming days.

The Grizzlies don’t expect to get much more than a first-round pick for Evans. But with Mike Conley out for the season with a heel injury and the Grizzlies refusing to discuss Marc Gasol in potential deals, at least Evans will get them the kind of asset they need going forward.

And what a break this would be for Evans, one of only four NBA rookies in history (with Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Oscar Robertson) to average at least 20 points, five assists and five rebounds per game. It was only seven months ago when it didn’t look like anyone wanted him. Now, he can look forward to leaving a losing situation and hooking up with a playoff team.


Latest NBA rumors ahead of trade deadline
— Going into the week, Pistons president of basketball operations and head coach Stan Van Gundy and Pelicans general manager Dell Demps were described in the same way: Desperate.

With DeMarcus Cousins' Achilles injury sidelining him for the season, Demps had to make a move to keep the Pelicans in the playoff chase — and maybe to help keep his own job. On the final year of his deal, it was virtually impossible to replace Cousins’ 25.2 points and 12.9 rebounds a night.

Demps shopped the Pels’ first-round pick and the onerous Omir Asik contract, with $14 million in guaranteed money to go over the next two years. The Pels talked to the Lakers and Hawks in a potential three-way deal, but then thought they had a deal with the Bulls for Nikola Mirotic, who would help pick up some of the scoring slack.

Mirotic wants his $12.5 million team option for next season picked up — he can veto the deal if it isn’t. The Pels don’t want to guarantee the $12.5 million because of luxury tax concerns. They’re also looking at bringing back Cousins, although it might be for less than the roughly $175 million he can get due to the nature of his injury, and the fact that it might adversely impact his career going forward.

So we’ll see what happens with Mirotic, who likes the idea of playing again with Rajon Rondo, the former Bull, but doesn’t like the idea of losing his Bird rights. Who does? That would happen if his $12.5 million option is not picked up, and it would cost him future money. So we’ll see if the Pels think he’s worth it.

— If not, the Pels have also been linked to the Hawks' Kent Bazemore and the Lakers’ Jordan Clarkson. Hornets forward Nic Batum is too rich for their blood with his mega contract (three years to run at around $77 million). Speaking of the Hornets, they are not shopping Kemba Walker, but definitely are listening to offers, as owner Michael Jordan has stated.

Meanwhile, two personnel men who looked at the potential Mirotic deal to New Orleans had the same thought: If it goes through, the Bulls won’t be getting enough for Mirotic, who had drawn the interest of Detroit, Utah, Portland and New York in recent weeks. He’s not Cousins, who made the All-Star team with some monster offensive games. But his long-distance shooting (42.9 percent from 3-point range this season) will be greatly appreciated by Anthony Davis.

"Dell needs to do something and he knows it," one Eastern Conference GM told Sporting News. "The Pelicans could be getting a new GM. So he’s as desperate to make a deal as Stan was."

— With Van Gundy, rumors have swirled that Detroit owner Tom Gores would pull the plug on his top basketball man if he didn’t get the Pistons, playing in their brand new Little Caesars Arena, to the playoffs this spring.

The talk of a new regime in Detroit only intensified when, after a 14-6 start, including an impressive win at Golden State, the Pistons lost 20 of their next 28 to fall out of the top eight in the East. The Pistons were not only losing, but also didn’t have the requisite star to draw fans, as they were playing to 83 percent capacity in their new downtown home and averaging only around 17,400 fans per game, 19th in the NBA.

Even Van Gundy’s signature addition — importing Avery Bradley from Boston when the Celtics traded for Marcus Morris to open the necessary cap space for Gordon Hayward — was no longer paying dividends. The Pistons had lost 17 of their last 20 games when Bradley had played. Earlier, Van Gundy credited for Bradley for bringing a "great work ethic," a much-needed "serious approach" to a team in need of some professionalism in the locker room and a "consistent defensive disposition."

But once the Pistons were sinking and it became apparent that Bradley, in the final season of his contract, wasn’t going to be part of their future, Van Gundy rolled the dice on Blake Griffin with Monday’s blockbuster trade. Now, the team has a major drawing card to attract fans — and to help them get to the playoffs.

If Griffin can stay healthy — always the No. 1 disclaimer for the five-time All-Star — and Detroit can work its way back into playoff contention, this move could stave off a regime change.

— Van Gundy’s desperation turned out to be the Clippers’ saving grace. They didn’t know if they could find a taker for Griffin’s massive contract, with four years and $141 million to go, after owner Steve Ballmer decided he couldn’t go forward with Griffin. He reportedly reached that conclusion after Griffin’s December was a total washout due to his latest knee injury. So just six months after selling Griffin on being a Clipper for life, they were scrambling to find a trade partner.

The Clippers are expected to move DeAndre Jordan (maybe to Cleveland) and Williams (perhaps to Boston, Toronto or another playoff team looking for instant offense off the bench) in hopes of clearing their salary books for the summer of 2019 and restocking their roster with stars. In two summers, it’s possible that Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, Kevin Love and Kemba Walker will hit the open market.

By then, the Clips could be as much as $40 million under the cap, with only Danilo Gallinari’s $22.6 million still on their ledgers. Griffin’s departure could also help the team this summer when Ballmer, with trusted advisor Jerry West at his side, plans to make a run at LeBron James and Paul George.




bob




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https://nypost.com/2018/02/01/joakim-noah-recruiting-begins-as-ugly-fight-details-leak/





Joakim Noah recruiting begins as ugly fight details emerge



By Marc Berman


February 1, 2018 | 10:34am




Joakim Noah AP





BOSTON — With the possibility of Joakim Noah never playing for the Knicks again, his former University of Florida teammate and friend Al Horford would love to reunite in Celtic green if he becomes a free agent.

After the Celtics routed the Knicks on Wednesday at TD Garden, Horford told The Post the exiled Noah has more game left in him. Depth isn’t one of Boston’s strong suits, as the Celtics look to make the Finals despite Gordon Hayward’s devastating injury. Noah turns 33 on Feb. 25.

“I believe so,” Horford told The Post when asked if Noah can help a contender. “I think when Jo is healthy, I will put him on my team any day of the week.”

Asked if he thinks Noah will emerge from this and get his career back on track, Horford said: “I know he will. It’s just about people giving him the opportunity. I don’t know what or where, but if he gets the opportunity, he has a lot left in him.”

In the latest detail to emerge on the Jeff Hornacek-Noah feud, ESPN reported the two had to be separated during their heated verbal exchange during a Jan. 24 practice in Denver. It occurred the day after Noah was yanked from the fourth quarter for starter Enes Kanter in a blowout in Golden State after playing just 4:41 of garbage time. He came out looking anguished and still was visibly upset in the locker room after the game — with one source saying he was “pissed” at the yanking.


Noah and Al Horford in 2006AP



It is expected that Noah — if he does at all — won’t join the team until after the Feb. 8 trade deadline. The Knicks still are cautious about waiving Noah because the salary would be stretched over five years and be on their books when they hope to have major cap space. Noah reportedly doesn’t want to give back a significant chunk of the $72 million pact.

Horford, who won two NCAA titles alongside Noah, hasn’t spoken with him in two weeks. Their careers are taking different paths. Horford is headed to the All-Star Game and possibly the NBA Finals. Noah, coming off a drug suspension for taking a supplement with androgen, has played seven games this season.

With the Knicks having four centers, Noah is usually inactive.

“It’s got to be tough,” Horford said. “He’s a competitor, winner. The fact he can’t play, it’s very hard on him. He cares about the team, cares about winning. It’s got to be very frustrating.”

Last week, sources indicated Noah would rejoin the team in Milwaukee on Thursday, but that’s not happening.




bob
MY NOTE:  No, Danny, NO!! Let's remember this is the NY Post, the same BS publication that was saying we'd trade Rondo to them for a potpourri of end-of-bench flotsam and jetsam. NY papers are always desperately trying to come up with new fantasies that will make their abomination less of an eyesore.


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kdp59 wrote:Noah and Horford...I forgot about their college days.

IF he'd play for minimum or near for a couple years AND he's fully healthy....maybe.

another defensive first player soon to be bought out is Tony Allen with the Bulls now.

Both Noah and Allen are winding down their NBA careers for sure and neither one will ever be starters again. But both are vet players who know how to play defense (if their body's allow anymore).

Neither would be "sexy" signings, but they are the type to help come playoff time perhaps.

kdp,

He'll have to be bought out first, and the article says he's not inclined to cede much of what he is due. No buyout, no Noah. I cannot see any team taking that contract on without some major draft picks and NY is in purgatory, where they aren't bad enough to get a top pick but not good enough to make noise in the playoffs.

Not to start a rumor of my own but if we sign Tony Allen I see that as a lean towards the trading of Marcus Smart. I mean, how many defensive guards can we justify? If we sign Monroe, what does that mean for Baynes and Theis? Would Cleveland take Baynes for the Brooklyn pick (jk)? This is why I say ALL trades affect the Celtics, it's because they result in holes being filled, roster imbalances and other holes being created through which Danny can step. Tony Allen and Jameer Nelson wouldn't be available if it wasn't for the Mirotic trade. Think Detroit couldn't use a player like Rozier now that they traded Bradley (not that they have anybody I really want but...)?


bob


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https://www.yahoo.com/sports/nba-trade-rumors-hawks-holding-212200147.html



NBA trade rumors: Hawks holding fire sale at deadline, but no one is buying




Sporting News  Sporting News 2 hours 44 minutes ago



With the Hawks at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, Atlanta's front office is in sell mode ahead of the trade deadline. The problem? Teams aren't interested in the assets the Hawks hold.

On Friday, after a loss in Boston in which the Celtics were without star guard Kyrie Irving as well as Marcus Smart and Marcus Morris, Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer summed up his team pretty nicely.

"Feels like we have to get better," Budenholzer said.

Indeed. But for Budenholzer, that ship has pretty much sailed. This team is not getting better, probably not under his watch. General manager Travis Schlenk, hired last May, has put the Hawks into full-scale sell mode approaching the deadline on Thursday, with just about everyone on the roster outside of rookie John Collins up for discussion.

Alas, the Hawks’ yard sale has not been the most popular on the block — "slim pickings," as one scout said with a laugh on Friday.

The most coveted of the available Hawks has been center Dewayne Dedmon, who returned from an injury a month ago and has put up good numbers (10.0 points and 7.7 rebounds in 23.3 minutes) this year. Dedmon has a player option in his contract for next season and is expected to exercise it in search of a new deal.

Ideally, the Hawks could fetch a late first-rounder for Dedmon. But first-round picks will be hard to come by on Thursday, and no one’s giving up a first-round pick for a few months of Dedmon, even as he has played better since returning. Still, the Bucks have expressed interest, sources told Sporting News, and though the Sixers are expected to make a push for help on the wing, there’s been some interest from Philadelphia, which will have four second-round picks in this year’s draft. Oklahoma City, too, is looking for wing help, but has interest in Dedmon for frontcourt depth.

It’s been tough for the Hawks to drum up additional interest in what they’re selling. Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova have each been decent as role players, and could pitch in for a contender. But executives around the league expect each to be bought out if they are not traded. There’s a chance Belinelli could get the Hawks a second-rounder back at the deadline from a team looking to add depth, and he’d be a backup plan for a team like the Sixers or even the Pacers.

Beyond that? It’s hard to see the Hawks having much that can be moved. There has been surprisingly little interest in Dennis Schroder, who is only 24, works well in the pick-and-roll and is averaging 19.3 points and 6.4 assists. But Schroder has been a poor 3-point shooter (28.0 percent this year), and there is doubt among league executives that he can be a leader on a playoff team. He is owed $46.5 million over the next three seasons.

Even wing Kent Bazemore is not getting much love on the market, despite having the most productive season of his career. Bazemore is a good perimeter defender averaging 13.2 points and making 38.9 percent of his 3s, a career high. But he is due $37 million over the next two seasons (the second is a player option, and he is expected to opt in).

The Pelicans have had interest in Bazemore, but the Hawks likely would have to take back Solomon Hill ($26 million over the next two years) and would not be able to get a first-rounder out from New Orleans until 2020.

"There’s a dozen teams who could use [Bazemore], but no one wants to pay him that," one exec said.

The takeaway, then, is not to expect too much takeaway for the Hawks. Their fire sale is a lot more fire than sale. If they somehow wrangle a first-rounder out of the next few days, it’ll be a major win for Schlenk. But that’s a longshot.




bob
MY NOTE:  When you're one of the worst teams in the league nobody on your roster looks good.


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http://celticswire.usatoday.com/2018/02/07/report-celtics-trade-target-lou-williams-ne
aring-extension-with-la-clipper/




Report: Celtics trade target Lou Williams nearing extension with LA Clippers




By: Jared Weiss | 4 hours ago




Boston Celtics trade target Lou Williams is reportedly nearing a contract extension with the Los Angeles Clippers ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.

The Celtics’ trade target pool may be getting a lot smaller as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Brian Windhorst report Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams is nearing a contract extension.

ESPN’s report notes that teams are growing “increasingly resigned” to the idea that Williams will not be traded.

The Celtics have been in hot pursuit of scoring help at the deadline, with Memphis guard Tyreke Evans and Williams as primary targets. News of this potential extension sounds a lot like the Clippers trying to gain leverage as the deadline approaches, but Williams has certainly earned a new deal after he stepped in to a depleted Clippers backcourt and is leading the team in scoring this year.

The Clippers and Grizzlies have been seeking a first-round pick for their top scorers, but the market has been reticent since they are both on expiring deals and will be difficult to retain this offseason. Teams acquiring Evans will not have any bird rights, while Williams will be looking for a big deal that most teams may not be willing to give to a guard who will turn 32 early next season.



bob



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https://sports.yahoo.com/cavaliers-isaiah-thomas-deadline-im-tired-traded-143059245.html



Cavaliers' Isaiah Thomas at the deadline: 'I'm tired of being traded'



Ben Rohrbach, Yahoo Sports


Feb 8, 2018, 6:30 AM



As rumors continue to swirl about a Cleveland Cavaliers shakeup at the trade deadline and reports indicate LeBron James isn’t happy with the team’s return in the Kyrie Irving trade, questions about whether the Cavs will deal the struggling Isaiah Thomas and his expiring contract are growing louder.

There’s at least one person in Cleveland who doesn’t want to see him go: Isaiah Thomas.

“I don’t [want to be traded],” Thomas said after Wednesday’s 140-138 overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to ESPN. “I’m tired of being traded. That’s not a good thing, but I just want to be where I’m wanted. I like it here. It hasn’t been as planned, but I definitely want to be here. We definitely have a real chance to win an NBA championship, and I want to be a part of that.”

Thomas is shooting just 36.1 percent from the field and 25.3 percent from 3-point range since returning from a seven-month absence due to a hip injury, and you can almost see LeBron’s eyes roll back in his head after every defensive breakdown by Thomas. The Cavaliers are 8-8 with him in the lineup, allowing an abysmal 118.6 points per 100 possessions with Thomas on the floor this season.



Ben Rohrbach

@brohrbach
Big win for Cavs, but I can’t stop watching how utterly disgusted LeBron is with Isaiah after every pick-and-roll defensive breakdown

5:41 AM - Feb 8, 2018
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Thomas was reportedly a leading voice in the team meeting that featured finger-pointing all around, especially in the direction of since-injured star forward Kevin Love, who responded by treating the diminutive point guard like a child. More recently, Thomas criticized Cleveland’s coaching staff for failing to make adjustments — to which Cavs coach Tyronn Lue flat-out responded, “That’s not true.”

Meanwhile, anonymously sourced reports suggested that James is still stewing about the fact that the Cavaliers didn’t deal Irving for Paul George and Eric Bledsoe or keep him rather than deal for Thomas.

Let’s just say Thomas isn’t the most popular player in Cleveland right now, as evidenced by the number of times he’s been booed at Quicken Loans Arena in recent weeks. It seems unlikely that the Cavs would meet Thomas’ contract demands in free agency this summer, and his expiring contract would help them match salaries in any potential roster-improving trade at Thursday’s deadline.

It’s understandably why the Cavaliers would want to move on from Thomas. It’s also understandable why he would not want to be dealt again. He was signed and traded from the Sacramento Kings to the Phoenix Suns in 2014, and then traded months later to the Boston Celtics, where he rose to stardom on an Eastern Conference contender, before being unceremoniously dealt to Cleveland in August.




bob
MY NOTE:  If you are tired of being traded then try shutting up about your fellow players and coaches...


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@TheSteinLine
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Strong expectation in Cleveland that one of the Cavaliers’ soon-to-open roster spots — barring any more trades — will be filled by Kendrick Perkins

11:00 AM - 8 Feb 2018



bob



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Marc Stein‏Verified account
@TheSteinLine
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The Timberwolves will try to sign Derrick Rose if he clears waivers after his looming release by Utah, according to league sources

10:48 AM - 8 Feb 2018



bob



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A. Sherrod Blakely @ASherrodblakely
about 8 minutes ago
Received text from league executive to expect an “intense” bidding war for Joe Johnson who is expected to be bought out by the Sacramento Kings, with the #Celtics one of the teams in the mix.

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bob



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